The Fab Five took their skills and talents to Asia for the latest season of the show, Queer Eye: We’re In Japan! Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown and Bobby Berk helped four heroes learn how to embrace their authentic identities and show themselves some love.
The heroes from Queer Eye Japan come from all walks of life. Along the way, the Fab Five learn that no matter where someone comes from, everyone wants to feel loved and accepted. Here are the four heroes from Queer Eye: We’re in Japan! before and after the Fab Five come.
BEFORE: Yoko Sakuma
Yoko is a 57-year-old hospice nurse who runs her business out of her house. When the Fab Five find her, she lives a life devoted to her work to the point of detriment. She spends so much time taking care of others that she never takes care of herself.
She even gave up her bedroom to the patients and instead sleeps on the floor under a table or near a door so she is always within reach of the patients. Yoko dedicates herself to the work in honor of her sister, who died alone in a hospital. She never wants any of her patients to feel alone as they pass on.
AFTER: Yoko Sakuma
After being nominated by her friend Fumiko, Yoko welcomed the life lessons the Fab Five had in store for her. Bobby renovated her house so that she could still run her hospice but have space for herself as well. A heartfelt talk with Karamo taught her that she is still a woman that has value, even if she doesn’t have a husband and children.
Tan helped her find a new wardrobe that better expressed her fun and bubbly personality. During the party at her new community center, Yoko opened up about how she had given up on being a woman but found renewed hope. She even started to date.
BEFORE: Kan
Kan’s friend Miki nominated him because he didn’t feel comfortable and at home living in Japan as a gay man. In the Japanese culture, being gay and open about it is still very taboo. Kan was in a long-term, long-distance relationship with Tom, who lives in the U.K.
Kan spent much of his time with one foot out the door, always ready to leave Japan and live abroad as he did during his university days. But he knew leaving Japan also meant leaving his friends, family, and job that he loves behind. Before the Fab Five, Kan had a hard time being his true self for fear of being rejected by society.
AFTER: Kan
Bobby created Kan’s apartment space to feel like a true home so that Kan didn’t live one foot out the door. The Fab Five introduced Kan to the queer scene in Japan and to many inspirational influencers in the community to show him he was not alone. Tan taught Kan how to dress so that he could express his inner self on the outside without feeling self-conscious, a lesson he carried with him after the Fab Five left.
For his big day, Tom flew into Japan to have dinner with Kan’s mother and brother, the latter of which he met for the first time. After the dinner, Kan felt confident enough to hold Tom’s hand as they walked down the street together.
BEFORE: Kae
The 23-year-old artist’s mother Kiyoko and sister Kie nominated Kae so that the Fab Five could help her define her version of the ideal woman. Bullied during her formative years in school, Kae grew up a shy introvert lacking self-esteem and confidence.
She often gave up chances, like a shot at drawing for a manga project, because she didn’t have confidence. Kae exhibited signs of depression as she kept a messy room and didn’t clean due to feeling overwhelmed. She dressed in baggy clothes to hide her figure because she thought with a bigger bust and hips, tight clothing revealed more than she was comfortable with.
AFTER: Kae
Antoni helps Kae connect with her mother by giving them a mother-daughter day in the kitchen. The two never talk much or tell each other that they love one another. But once Antoni helps them open up that line of communication, there’s a greater understanding between them that gives them hope for their future relationship.
Bobby works his magic in their small home and creates the ultimate creative and living space for the sisters who share a room. After a week with the Fab Five, Kae draws Karamo a portrait of her ideal self, curves and all. She displays it at her art exhibition and is surprised to learn that Tan bought the self-portrait.
BEFORE: Makoto
Makoto is a 37-year-old music producer who has been married to his wife Yasuko for seven years, but their relationship has deteriorated. The two are in a sexless marriage, a taboo subject in Japan. But when his boss Kazutaka nominates him, Makoto wants to work toward bringing that spark back.
The Fab Five think they’re preparing Makoto to take his wife out on a date for the first time in years, but they discover the true problem is a lack of communication between the pair. Makoto confesses he fears his wife doesn’t love him and has run away from the conversation for so long because of that fear.
AFTER: Makoto
The most moving moment with Makoto’s transformation is when Karamo brings Yasuko to a studio with him so that the spouses talk face to face. Makoto asks Yasuko if she still loves him and she reveals the whole time she’s been concerned about being a bad wife because she doesn’t cook or clean. Makoto assures Yasuko he doesn’t care about those things and the two open a line of communication that has been dormant for years.
Bobby creates a space for their home so they can spend more time together. Antoni teaches Makoto to cook a simple meal, which immediately wins Yasuko over. Jonathan shows Makoto that he is still an attractive man and deserves love. This resonates with him so much that Makoto carries the practice of telling himself this each day.
